This is the type of hand that I was perfectly happy not to play.
Board #27
South dealer
Neither side vulnerable
| | North
♠ A 5 3
♥ A Q 10 6 5 4
♦ A 3
♣ 8 3
| | West
♠ Q 8 6
♥ 9
♦ K Q 8 4 2
♣ A Q 7 4
| | East
♠ 10 7 4 2
♥ K J 8 2
♦ 7
♣ 10 6 5 2
| | | South
♠ K J 9
♥ 7 3
♦ J 10 9 6 5
♣ K J 9
| |
|
| | | | |
| South | West | North | East |
| | 1♥ | P |
| 1N | P | 2♥ | P |
| P | Dbl | P | 2♠ |
| ? | | | |
The first six bids are surely unexceptionable. West was hoping to get into the action in the first round, but South's 1NT response makes it difficult for him to show his two-suiter, and he knows that East cannot have much.
There is no excuse for West's passing on the second round. Experts agree that the single most important thing to learn about playing in pairs games is this: Never allow the opponents to play in an undoubled two-level major-suit contract when you know that they have a fit. In this instance it is possible that North-South have only seven hearts, but if they do, then East must have five of them. All roads of reasoning lead to a double by West.
Should East leave the double in? It is a close call, but I vote no. The rule of thumb for decisions about pulling low-level penalty doubles by partner is called the Rule of Nine. You add up (1) the number of trumps plus (2) the number of honors (including tens) in trump plus (3) the level at which the opponents have bid. If the number is nine or more, you can leave the double in. In this case East's four trumps plus two honors plus the opponent's two-level bid equals eight, just short of the required amount. So, East bids 2♠.
What does South do? I would waste no time in playing the red card. Mel Colchamiro calls this a BOP (Balance of Power) double. South has a maximum for his first bid. This gives him a chance to let his partner know that.
At this point someone is probably going down. North-South has more than half the points, but East-West's cards are extremely well-positioned. No one can make much of anything.
In the Wednesday evening game this hand was only played twice. North-South made 110 (presumably 2♥ – shame on East-West!) once. The other time North-South went down one.
It appears to me that East-West should take at least six tricks if hearts are trump: one diamond, three hearts, and two clubs. East just needs to be careful to preserve black cards (of which he starts with eight) for safe exiting. If we were sitting East-West, and North refused to sell out to 2♠, I would expect to see him record 300 in our column when the dust settled.
On the other hand, if I were sitting in South, I would expect my partner, holding three spades, to end his love affair with his heart suit and leave the double of 2♠ in. I would then expect him to record a similarly large number in our column thirteen tricks later.